Belgium eliminate USA to reach quarterfinals after 4-1 demolition job

Published at : 07 July 2026, 10:32 am
Belgium eliminate USA to reach quarterfinals after 4-1 demolition job
Belgium's players celebrate after scoring against USA in the Round of 16. PHOTO: AP

Belgium defeated World Cup co-hosts USA 4-1 to secure a place in the tournament's quarterfinals.

The Belgians started the match strong, scoring in the 9th minute after striker Charles De Ketelaere netted an easy twwwwwwap-in.

Malik Tillman scored the equaliser in the 31st minute, but De Ketelaere responded quickly, putting Belgium ahead again in the 33rd minute.

Belgium dominated long stretches of the first half, with the USA only having two attempts, one of them on target.

In the second leg, Hans Vanaken scored Belgium's third goal in the 57th minute, before veteran striker Romelu Lukaku scored the fourth and last goal in stoppage time.

Quarterfinals clash against Spain

Striker Folarin Balogun, whose red card ban was lifted ahead of the game, played almost the entire match but had only one threatening effort on goal.

Belgium football chiefs had challenged Balogun's eligibility for the game earlier on Monday but saw their appeal dismissed out of hand by FIFA.

The US' elimination means all three co-hosts are out of the tournament, after Canada and Mexico also lost in the last 16.

Earlier, European champions Spain struggled to break down Portuguese defences but scored in stoppage time to secure their ticket to the quarterfinals.

Belgium will face Spain in the quarterfinals on July 10 for a place in the semifinals.

END/TRT World/ASA

Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Published at : 24 September 2023, 03:42 pm
Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

 

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:06 pm
Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:05 pm
Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:03 pm
PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday as a Kylian Mbappe penalty set them up for a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes.

The French champions had dominated the first half without overly troubling the Dortmund defence, but they went ahead four minutes after the break when Mbappe scored a spot-kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.

Achraf Hakimi added a memorable second, and PSG could have won the Group F encounter by a far more handsome margin in the end.

The result immediately puts them in control of the group, after AC Milan and Newcastle United drew 0-0 earlier, and coach Luis Enrique will hope they can build on this performance when they visit the English side next in a fortnight.

"It was an almost perfect evening," said Luis Enrique.